insuring against the inevitable

<![CDATA[ In another "triumph" for unfettered capitalism, the insurance industry is pulling away from insuring residents of Atlantic and Gulf coastal areas. In some cases, insurers are canceling existing policies. Predictably, a lobby group has formed to shift the industry's liability to the federal government, presaging a political battle that should outlast this year's hurricane season.

This directly speaks to the need for effective and meaningful government action (and associated funding) to step in and protect its citizens. It's not enough to fund an already-bloated Homeland Security department and spend money on defense gadgets that have little meaning in today's world -- nature has a way of doing more (predictable) damage to us than anything else, yet we never seem prepared in July or August. I'd bet that most people in this country wouldn't mind adding a few dollars per year in taxes if they knew it would go toward helping people in times of disaster instead of some irrelevant pork tacked onto a Senate or House bill. ]]>